DAMON SCOTT is pursuing a doctoral degree in cultural geography, with particular interest in the imprint of culture on urban landscapes and the role of place in empowering marginalized groups. His dissertation centers on the differentiation of gay and lesbian residential and commercial spaces in post-World War II San Francisco.

SUBJECT: The Rise and Fall of Gay San Francisco?

Based on historical data collected by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society of Northern California, the number of queer-oriented establishments in San Francisco has been declining since the early 1980s. Viewed spatially and temporally, this data suggests several additional trends in the patterning of queer space within San Francisco: (1) since the early 1960s, there has been an increase in the number of queer neighborhoods; (2) since the early 1930s, the Tenderloin district has consistently had a sizeable queer presence despite being eclipsed in the media by higher visibility neighborhoods such as the Castro and the Polk; and (3) lesbian-oriented businesses in the Mission district have shown a marked decline since the late 1980s.

These observations suggest several possible factors influencing the number and distribution of queer marked spaces within the city: (1) high mortality rates among gay men attributed to AIDS; (2) rising rents pricing existing and potential queer residents out of the city; and (3) lower gay immigration rates to San Francisco as queer spaces have proliferated in other parts of the country. The data presented here is an initial attempt to explore how gays and lesbians have sorted themselves out spatially within the city as well as to examine the historical significance of San Francisco as a "gay mecca".


PAT SEXTON is a library/ information broker in Honolulu, Hawaii.


SUSAN STRYKER is Director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society of Northern California. Susan received her Ph.D. in History from the University of California at Berkeley and is co-author, with Jim Van Buskirk of Gay By the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, CA, Chronicle Books, 1996). efforts are welcome either at the door or by mail.

SUBJECT: Ms. Stryker gave a colorful and eventful tour of the significant sites in the Tenderloin, Polk & other SF districts, and gave an overview of the work and collection of the GLBT Historical Society in its offices on Market Street. She also discussed her research on the Transsexual subculture of the 1950's and 60's and it's sites around the Tenderloin.


GERRY TAKANO is president of TBA West, a planning and architectural firm affiliated with Boston's TBA Architects. In addition to the Friends of 1800, Gerry is a Board member of the National Japanese American Historical Society and the Fort Point & Presidio Historical Association.

SUBJECT: Mr. Takano presented a talk 'The Loss of Institutional Memory: Case Study of Queen Surf and the Kuhio District'. He discussed the radical change in Honolulu's gay neighborhood noting that it has been little appreciated both in the past and in the present. He demonstrated the systematic eradication of specific locations frequented by gays, even though no known official policy targeted gays. From his research he concluded that GLBT activists and organizations must be cognizant of both overt and covert assaults on GLBT representation in and use of built environment.


JIM VAN BUSKIRK is the Director of the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library and co-author, with Susan Stryker, of Gay By the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, CA, Chronicle Books, 1996).


JOHN WULLBRANDT is an artist with projects in Hawaii, California and beyond. John resided in the Fallon Building and was instrumental in saving the site from demolition.